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Editorial: Critical literature reviews in open source journals, TAPPI Journal June 2023
ABSTRACT: We stand on the shoulders of giants” is a famous metaphor used by Sir Isaac Newton. This testifies to the fact that new information or discoveries are built on understanding and analyzing earlier information. Particularly in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, it is important to have thorough analysis of earlier research activities in a particular field to propose a new direction of research, to evolve new ideas, and to develop new test methods and standards. It is a mandatory and required aspect of every original research paper to have a Literature Review section in the introductory part of the paper.
Editorial: The state of cellulosic nanotechnology: June conference captures current and emerging trends, TAPPI Journal July 2023
ABSTRACT: From June 12-16, 253 participants from 18 countries gathered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for TAPPI’s 2023 International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials. Representatives from academia, industry, and federal research institutes could choose from among 140 technical presentations on production, characterization, applications, and functionalization of renewable nanomaterials.
Mechanistic aspects of nanocellulose–cationic starch–colloidal silica systems for papermaking, TAPPI Journal February 2023
ABSTRACT: Optimization of a chemical additive program for a paper machine can require attention to both colloidal charges and kinetic effects. This work considered an additive program with two negatively charged substances (nanofibrillated cellulose [NFC] and colloidal silica) and two positively charged items (cationic starch and cationic acrylamide copolymer retention aid). Results were shown to depend on charge interactions; however, that clearly was not the whole story. Some findings related to cationic demand, dewatering, fine-particle retention, and flocculation among fibers were best explained in terms of at least partly irreversible complexation interactions between the charged entities. Adjustments in ratios between oppositely charged additives, their sequences of addition, and effects of hydrodynamic shear levels all affected the results. In general, the most promising results were obtained at a cationic starch level of 0.25% to 0.5% based on sheet solids in systems where the cationic starch was used as a pretreatment for NFC.
An analytical method to quantitatively determine the amount of polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) in paperboard and white water, TAPPI Journal February 2023
ABSTRACT: Polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) is a permanent wet strength resin. When applied to paperboard, some amount of resin is retained in the sheet, and some is lost to the white water. An analytical method for quantify-ing the amount of PAE retained in the sheet and lost into the white water has been developed. This method hydrolyz-es the PAE to adipic acid, which in turn is derivatized to diethyl adipate and quantified by pyrolysis gas chromatogra-phy–mass spectrometry (pyGCMS). In addition, the hydrolysis conditions of the PAE were studied by the Taguchi approach, and PAE material balances around the dry sheet and white water for 3 and 6 lb/ton PAE applications have been performed. The PAE resin recovery was 95.4% with 65.0% in the sheet for the 3 lb/ton PAE-charged paper-board, and the recovery was 96.7% with 36.1% in the sheet for the 6 lb/ton PAE-charged paperboard.
A fast and non-destructive alternative to the burnout method for paperboard quality inspections using phase-contrast X-ray imaging, TAPPI Journal February 2023
ABSTRACT: An X-ray based quality inspection method for paperboard was implemented and tested as a fast and non-destructive alternative to the burnout method. An argument against X-ray imaging for inspection of paper and paperboard has been that X-ray absorption is low in paper. To overcome this limitation, we used phase-contrast X-ray imaging (PCXI), which gives higher contrast than conventional attenuation-based imaging for low-absorbing materials such as paper. The suggested PCXI method was applied to previously prepared and quality rated samples using the burnout method. A strong similarity between the burnout images and the PCXI images was observed. In conclusion, further development of the phase-contrast X-ray method would provide an interesting option for replacing or complementing the standard burnout method.
Journal articles
Conversion of paper-grade pulp from rice straw into dissolving pulp, TAPPI Journal June 2025
ABSTRACT: About 1,165 million metric tons of rice straw is generated every year worldwide, which can be a good source for the circular bioeconomy. In this research paper, the paper-grade pulp from rice straw was converted to dissolving-grade pulp by fractionation in a biorefinery initiative. Rice straw was cooked at an optimum condition of 8% potassium hydroxide (KOH) charge for 120 min at 150°C and produced a pulp yield of 47.2% with a kappa number of 18.5. Subsequently, D0(EP)D1 bleaching was carried out for the produced pulp, and the brightness of the pulp reached to 82.4%. From the black liquor, 16.5% of the lignin and 11.9% of the hemicellulose were isolated for producing biobased products and chemicals, and then the spent liquor was used for soil amendment. The bleached pulp was fractionated in a Bauer McNett fiber classifier. The pulp fibers retained on 16-, 30-, and 50-mesh screens were used as a longer fiber fraction pulp, and pulp fibers retained on 100- and 200-mesh screens were used as a shorter fiber pulp. The longer and shorter fiber fraction pulps were analyzed for cellulose, R10, pentosan, and viscosity. The long fiber fraction pulps were characterized by higher cellulose (88.2% vs. 83.1%) and lower pentosan (11.3% vs. 13.0%) content than the shorter fiber fraction pulps. The longer fiber fraction was further treated with cold KOH to remove residual hemicellulose. The KOH extraction reduced pentosan content in pulp to 6.3% and increased á-cellulose content to 91.3%. The short fiber fraction was converted to monomeric sugars using cellulase enzymes with varying reaction time, temperature, and consistency. The efficiency of cellulase activity was assessed through glucose yield and residual dry weight. A temperature of 45°C, 5.0 pH, 5% consistency, and 6 filter paper units/gram (FPU/g) o.d. pulp resulted in maximum sugar conversion of 85.7%.
Journal articles
Colloidal silica and its effects during formation of paper sheets in the presence of nanofibrillated cellulose, cationic starch, and cationic acrylamide copolymer, TAPPI Journal May 2025
ABSTRACT: This work considered effects of colloidal silica addition during laboratory preparation of paper sheets containing nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) that had been pretreated with cationic starch. The emphasis was on process performance issues, including dewatering rates, fine particle retention, and the extent of fiber flocculation. In addition, micrographs were obtained to show what was happening to the NFC upon treatments with cationic starch and subsequent application of hydrodynamic shear. Contrasting results were obtained, depending on the charge density of the cationic starch. Pretreatment of the NFC with a high charge density cationic starch (degree of substitution 0.2) resulted in strong interactions with the colloidal silica, enhancing the dewatering rate and contributing to fine-particle retention. The medium charge cationic starch pretreatment led to effects suggesting a bridging mechanism of action, and subsequent colloidal silica had no significant effect on dewatering. Treatment of that system with a high level of colloidal silica (0.2%) resulted in lower retention. In general, the final colloidal silica treatments tended to decrease the level of flocculation in the suspensions, giving more uniform handsheets. Mechanisms, some of them related to the clustering and dispersion of cationic starch-treated NFC, were proposed to account for the observed effects.
Journal articles
Research on an energy model for X-ray measurement of paper ash content using COMSOL, TAPPI Journal May 2025
ABSTRACT: Ash content is one of the critical quality parameters in papermaking production. Traditional 55Fe radioactive sources used for online ash content measurement have a short lifespan and high costs, while offline methods such as the combustion method or chemical analysis are time-consuming. Using an X-ray tube as the radiation source, continuous X-ray measurement offers advantages such as being rapid, non-destructive, and cost-effective. In this study, COMSOL software was employed to simulate the measurement process and establish an energy attenuation model for X-ray measurement of paper ash content. The model simulates the energy attenuation of X-rays before and after transmission through four materials: calcium carbonate (CaCO3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), wood-based plant fibers, and paper samples filled with CaCO3. The absorption coefficients of paper samples with varying ash content were investigated using the model and compared with experimental results obtained from continuous X-ray measurements. The results indicate that the proposed energy simulation model can reduce the measurement error of paper ash content by 1%, significantly enhancing the reliability and accuracy of ash content measurement.
Journal articles
The effect of Stachys floridana Shuttlew.ex Benth extract as an additive on the chemical properties of chitosan biodegradable film, TAPPI Journal June 2025
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to explore chitosan with Stachys floridana Shuttlew. ex Benth (SFSB) extract as an additive to prepare an active film. The effects of the SFSB extract on the physical, antioxidant, and bacteriostatic properties of chitosan biodegradable films were studied. The results showed that the addition of SFSB extract significantly improved the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the film, and its biodegradation rate increased rapidly. Compared to the control film, the water solubility was lower at 19.40%, the expansion degree was higher at 288.90%, the water vapor permeability (WVP) was 0.364 g·mm/(m²·d·kPa), the surface hydrophobicity increased, and the mechanical strength was also improved. The contact angle increased to 89.3°. In addition, as the amount of SFSB increased, the thermal stability of chitosan-Stachys floridana Shuttlew. ex Benth (CS-SFSB) films also increased significantly, and their ultraviolet (UV) blocking ability was gradually enhanced. The results indicate that CS-SFSB has potential as a food packaging material.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Editorial: TAPPI Journal 2024 Best Research Paper focuses on realistic potential for using nonwood residues in sustainable packaging, TAPPI Journal April 2025
ABSTRACT: Each year, the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board honors outstanding content by nominating and voting for the Best Research Paper published the previous year based on scientific merit, innovation, creativity, and clarity. TAPPI and the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board would like to congratulate the authors of the 2024 TAPPI Journal Best Research Paper: Antonio Suarez, Ashok Ghosh, Fritz Paulsen, and Peter W. Hart of Smurfit Westrock (formerly WestRock). The winning paper, “Life cycle carbon analysis of packaging products containing nonwood residues: A case study on linerboard and corrugating medium,” was published in the March 2024 issue.